Fill pipe for liquid containers



6 m L R E s C H FILL PIPE FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Filed Dec. 15, 1947 HOWARD c. GERLING 3nventor (Ittorneg5 Patented Oct. 3, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE 2,524,313 FILL PIPE FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Howard C. Ger-ling, Seattle, Wash. Application December 15, 1947, Serial No. 791,722

3 Claims. (01. 210-170) This invention relates to improvements in a fill-pipe for liquid containers and more particularly, to a fill-pipe for a liquid container having a collared opening of the type that is commonly found on the fuel tanks of outboard motors and on similar structures.

It has been my experience in the past that the filling of an outboard motor fuel tank, as an example, is not only a diflicult but a hazardous undertaking under the best of circumstances, when using the ordinary funnel. The reason for the difficulty is that the boat upon which such an outboard motor is mounted is usually fairly unstable, and the person who is filling the tank must do so standing up. He thereby raises his center of gravity, causing the boat to rock and pitch. If, in addition, the user must accomplish the filling operation under rough-water conditions, or after his engine has been running for a while, it should be quite apparent that the r.

danger of slopping and sloshing around a highly inflammable liquid, such as gasoline, on hot parts of the engine would create a fire hazard, as well as a wastage of the liquid fuel.

It is therefore highly desirable that the fillpipe be adapted to receive fluid rapidly and conveniently and without danger of spillage. To this end, I deem it advisable that such a fill-pipe have an indicator incorporated therein which will show when the container is substantially full. Further, it is necessary that such fluids be strained to remove both water and dirt particles which may be in the fuel oil as it comes from the producer or from the supplemental filling can. A further dimculty that I wish to overcome is to eliminate the funnel so commonly used in such operations.

It is therefore an important object of this invention to provide a fill-pipe for fluid containers which is so adapted and arranged as to make more convenient and more certain the filling operation of the fluid container.

It is another object of my invention to incorporate in such a fill-pipe, signalling or indicating means which will show when the container is filled, and which will prevent spillage from over-filling.

It is a further object of my invention to pro" vide in a fill-pipe of the type described, in which a free view into the container is not possible through the fill-pipe, signalling means which will be apparent from the outside, so that the user may readily know when the container is suitably filled.

Still another object of the invention is the pro;

2 vision, in such a fill-pipe, of filtering means which will not only separate but will entrap sludge and water elements that may be incorporated in the fuel bein run through the fillpipe. 7

Still another and further object of the invention is the provision of a fill-pipe which will be simple and easy to construct a long and useful life under extreme conditions and with a minimum of care.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more apparent during the course of the following description and by reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is, a plan view of a portion of a boat having mounted thereon an outboard motor. to which is attached my fill-pipe;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in side elevation of my fill-pipe with portions broken away for convenience of illustration;

Fig. 3 is a view in cross section taken in the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the fluid-level indicating means, and means for locking the fluid-level indicator in the inoperative position; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the strainer device employed in my fill-pipe with a portion broken away to disclose an interior element.

Referring to the drawing in which is shown a preferred embodment of m invention, the numeral Ii! designates a transom of a boat B, on which is mounted an outboard engine having the usual fly-wheel l2 and forwardly extending steering handle l4. About the fly-wheel and on the frame of the engine, which is not shown, is mounted a fluid-fuel container It, having the usual opening I3, which in this case, as is also usual, is the collar 20 upstanding ing. It is conventional practice to provide a collar and to provide a cap for closing opening when the en ine is being run. In

such the certain instances the collar 29 is exteriorly threaded and in other instances, it is interioriy threaded.

In either case, however, the closure cap would be, adapted to accommodate the particular collar, by means of an interiorly threaded cap or by an externally threaded stud.

My fill-pipe, as is shown more fully in Fig. 2, comprises an elbow portion 2 3 and an entrant portion 26, both of which are tubular and substantially circular in cross section, and are mutually intercommunicable, so that when liquid is introduced into the entrant portion 26, it will flow into the elbow portion and thence into the con and which will have about the open tainer it. Elbow 2 5 is preferably less than 90, as spoken of by pipe fitters, and specifically, it is here shown as being a 60 elbow. This insures that the entrant portion will be upwardly directed relative to the horizontal position to facilitate filling. The lower, or exit, portion 28 of the elbow 2d is internally threaded to fit collar 20. The outer end of the entrant portion has a male stud 3! to receive the cap 32 indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Such a cap 32 usually has a venting opening closed by a supplementary cap which must necessarily be open when the engine is running, to prevent the creation of a vacuum within the container it which would disrupt the flow of fuel to the engine.

On the upper external face of the elbow portion 24 I provide a boss it which is bored to form a passage :32, and has a counterbore i t at the upper end to receive the asket &6 formed of con1- pressible material and having an opening in alignment with the passage 42. A guide tube 43 is threadedly engaged into the passage 1-2 and receives and supports the indicator rod 55 which has on its lower end the rod float 5!. On its upper end rod 5!} has a head 52 of a size to fit into the counterbore 44. In the down position, as shown in Fig. 2, the rod head 52 presses upon the gasket 46 and seals the upper end of the passage in which the indicator rod moves. A keeper 54 is pivotally mounted on pin 56' and swings to the side to permit the rod head 52 to rise under the urgence of the float 5i and also serves to hold the rod head 52 in the down position against the gasket when it is desired to close oil this opening and to maintain the float 5! inoperable.

A filtering device is fitted into the adit end of the entrant member 25 and comprises the sleeve 60 which has an inwardly extending saddle ii provided with an opening 52. The strainer is preferably formed of two elements; one, the inner open-work frame 64 which is of cylindrical form and has a closed bottom and, secondly, the outer foraminous screen 66, which is usually of extremely fine mesh and which is supported by the frame 64. of coarse screen material of fairly rugged construction, in order that when a filling spout of a can, or a funnel, or the like, is inserted therein, it will receive and yet resist wear from such abrasion. The screen or frame 64 will protect the less durable and finer screen 66. The cross sectional area of the frame 34 in screen 66 is such as to be substantially less than the cross sectional area of the entrant portion 26, so that fluid in troduced into the screen may escape therefrom through a large screening surface and will not be trapped in the screen. The screen 65 should be of a mesh which will not only entrap small particles of dirt, but will also entrap water and cause it to agglomerate. I provide the sludge trap 68 in the lower corner of the screening element, and I have founuol it very suitable to form the same by cleaning the screen elements, and then quickly dipping the same into a molten pool of solder or the like, whereupon the material will fill up the interstices of screen 65 and framework 6 and make a small but very effective sludge trap 58.

A second boSs H1 is provided on the upper side of the entrant portion 26 and this boss has an opening 12 to receive the thimble M, which fits into opening 62 in the saddle iii of sleeve 50'.

Thimble M is retained in place by means of set screw 15, or a similar pin, shown in Fig. 2. A closure cap 76 is threadedly engaged into boss ill and may be retained against loss by a keeper The inner frame 66 is usually formed chain 18. The cap 32 may likewise be secured to the fill-pipe by means of a keeper chain when the cap is disengaged from the fill-pipe.

In use, my device is usually mounted upon a container in the manner shown in Fig. 1. When itls necessary to fill the tank It, the cap 32 is removed and the spout of a filling can is inserted into the openwork inner frame 554 and the contents of the filling container elevated to a point where it will flow. The fluid flowing into the strainer element will escape through the side walls thereof into the entrant portion and flow from there into the elbow 24 and thence to container [6. Whenthe keeper 54 is swung to one side, as shown, in Fig. 4, the fluid will act upon the float 5|, causing the indicator rod 58 and its head 52 to rise. By observation, the operator will be able to determine when the liquid level in container It has risen to a point according to his needs. The screen device is retained in place by means of the thimble 14. Should it be desirable for the operator to introduce liquid to the fill-pipe by the use of the conventional funnel, the cap 16 is removed and the nipple of the funnel is introduced into the tapered thimble l4 and the liquid poured into the funnel.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. A fill-pipe for a liquid container having a collared opening, comprising: a tubular member including an arcuate elbow portion of less than and integral therewith a communicating straight entrant portion, means for coupling said elbow portionof the tubular member to the collar of a container opening in liquid feeding relation and so that the entrant portion is angularly disposed relative thelupright axis of said opening, a cylindrical ioraminous strainer having a lower foraminous end and mounted coaxially in the mouth of said entrant portion, said cylinder being of less cross-sectional. area than. the crosssectional area of said entrant portion whereby space is provided around the strainer, means forming a fluid-tight. sludge cup in the lower portion of said, strainer, means forming an upright transversely directed liquid passage through the upper wall of said entrant portion and of said foraminous strainer, means for closing the mouth of said entrantportion and said strainer, and means for closing the upper. end of said liquidv passage.

2. A fill pipe for a liquid container having a collared opening, comprising: a tubular member including any arcuate elbow of less than 90 and, integral therewith, a communicating straight entrant portion, means for coupling said elbow portion to a liquid container collar in liquidfeeding relation and so that the entrant portion is angularly disposed relative the upright axis of the opening, acylindrical foraminous strainer having a lower foraminous end and mounted coaxially in the mouth of saidentrant portion, said cylindrical strainer being of less. cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of said entrant portion. whereby space is provided around the strainer, said. entrant portion of," the tubular member and said strainer each having an. auxiliary opening on their upper faces, said openings being in line with each other, a thimble positioned in the opening of said entrant portion and passing thnough the aligned opening of said strainer, means for closing the mouth of said entrant portion and said strainer, andmeans for closing the auxiliary opening of .said entrant portion.

5 3. The structure according to claim 2 includ- Number ing means forming a fiuidtight sludge cup in 900,104 the lower portion of said strainer. 956,907 HOWARD C. GERLING. 1,192,134 5 1,453,668 REFERENCES CITED 1 04 043 The following references are of record in the 1,953,669 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Number Name Date 42 049 554,308 Redmond Feb. 11, 1896 617671 794,678 Martin July 11, 1905 Name Date Kessler Oct. 6, 1908 Smith May 3, 1910 Stevens July .25, 1916 Goin et a1 May 1, 1923 Hobbs Oct. 19, 1926 Bettes Apr. 3, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Sweden Feb. 14, 1917 France Nov. 22, 1926 

